It's very important to take in our local events, whose advertising supports this newspaper. Here's one to get on your calendar for March: the Brooten Ambulance pancake breakfast! This is coming on Sunday, March 17 at the Brooten American Legion hall. I hope to see you there! You can read more here: https://shorturl.at/zGMU5.
If you go about your business locally without supporting our local events, you are missing out! You are cheating yourself, and you are also cheating your community.
Boys' basketball update: the conference action at Royalton has shifted earlier! The JV and C-squad games start at 4:30 p.m. at Royalton high school. The varsity game should tip off at about 6 p.m. For the girls' playoff game, that still has a 7 p.m. tip off in Belgrade.
Meanwhile, today at Xcel Energy Center...the No. 2-ranked B-B-E Jaguars wrestling team is facing No. 10-ranked United North Central in the Class 1A state quarterfinals. The UNC Warriors are 25-4 in duals this season after claiming the Section 8A championship. In the Section 8A finals, UNC squeezed out a 27-23 win against perennial state tournament contender Frazee. This is UNC's third straight trip to the team state tournament. Two years ago, UNC earned a 34-30 upset win against our Jaguars in the consolation semifinals of state. They lost 41-24 in the fifth-place dual to Kimball Area.
**Here's a video from the end of yesterday's elementary school pep fest. That was fun!
State wrestling updates will follow later this morning. ALSO! The Elrosa Bar and Lounge, now owned by Jeff and Wanda Arends, will be live streaming the wrestling matches today! I believe the KaDe Shack in Brooten will as well, but I have to double check on that. Confirmed: Tommy is indeed streaming the state wrestling at the KaDe Shack! So there's two options locally to watch it with others if you can't be there in person.
The action can be live streamed via your own device for a very low fee of $30 per year. I find that to be the deal of the century! Here's that link: https://nspn.tv/MSHSL.
Class 1A state quarterfinal dual updates vs. No. 10-ranked UNC:
UPDATE: after the 107 and 114-pound matches are complete, the Jaguars hold a 6-0 lead with two decisions in the book: Noah Jensen by an 11-6 score at 107 and Noah Welte by an 8-4 score at 114. This is a great start to the quarterfinals!
At 121 pounds, Aiden Mueller has a 4-0 lead after earning a reversal just 14 seconds into the second period! Update: Aiden Mueller won by fall just 22 seconds into the second period! This gives the Jaguars a 12-0 lead through the first three weights. This is a terrific start!
At 127 pounds...seventh grader Jace Mueller lost by fall (1:03) as the Warriors earned their first team points of the dual.
At 133 pounds...junior Louie Tensen is facing senior and No. 10-ranked Aaron Lake. Tensen battled but ultimately lost by fall in the final minute of the third period (5:18). Through 133 pounds, the dual is tied at 12-12. Lake is one of two state-ranked wrestlers on the UNC squad.
At 139 pounds...Ryan Jensen has built an 11-1 lead in the third period against UNC senior Zach Hendrickson. Final: Ryan Jensen won an 11-2 major decision that gives the Jaguars a 16-12 lead.
At 145 pounds... Tanner Viessman is facing UNC seventh grader Creed Koll. Update:Viessman has built a 6-0 lead in the second period.
BOOM! The Jaguars have clinched the win! The 189, 215 and 285 pound matches are still to come. They advance to the state semis!!! More to come in a new blog post after noon.
THANK YOU TO Bonanza Valley State Bank and Paul J. Gruber for sponsoring this blog post!
